Is It The END OF THE LINE For Operations Managers?

Is the age of technology eliminating the need for operations managers?

With more and more companies investing in automated systems to produce, analyze, and compile data does this mean it’s the end of the line for operations managers? The answer is yes and no.

The digital era has forced operations managers to evolve. It is no longer expected for operations managers to manually compile data utilizing Excel spread sheets and Access databases. The same data can be automatically generated and compiled with a one time purchase or build out of a program.

Why are operations managers still vital to an organization? Systems are only as good as the people that use them (and understand them). Competitive advantage is likely to depend even more on human capacity. Operations managers must have ongoing dialogue with customers, front line employees, and the developer team so the company can quickly develop and test almost any automated system, and successfully roll it out in record time.

What can you do to get ahead of the curve?

Operations managers and organizations investing in human and digital capabilities can start by
asking several critical questions:

Do we understand how customers interact with us now, and how they want to in the future?

How can we give customers the experience they want, no matter which digital and human channels they use?

How can we uncover new opportunities for better performance?

Can our culture become flexible enough for us to collaborate effectively with our customers through constant change?

​The ability to understand and communicate between all groups will be vital to the success of all companies.